LETTER TO MICHAEL MOORE

It has been a very long time between posts. May 6-8 is lobby week for the UAFA. Yesterday I sent this email to Michael Moore in hopes that maybe we can generate some exposure. I know it is a longshot but it doesn't hurt to try. The following is my email:

Dear Mr Moore,

I don't think I have ever sent a e-mail to a film celebrity before but here goes. I have seen both of your documentaries I can't count how many times--and in my opinion they were both right ON target. I am now going to take a chance that you are an open minded individual and hope that you can see another situation from a human perspective.

Every day Americans in loving, same-sex, binational relationships are forced to make heartbreaking choices to maintain their relationship; including leaving the United States to be with the person they love. There is a bill that has been in Congress since 2000 that if enacted could end this discriminatory policy in the U.S. immigration code. The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) is currently in committee again--H.R. 221 and S.1328 respectively. In fact, according to the 2000 U.S. Census there are an estimated 40,000 such couples.

The UAFA seeks to fulfill the pledge of family unification under current U.S. Immigration policy by adding the term “permanent partner” where the word “spouse” currently appears in the Immigration and Nationality Act. This would allow American citizens and permanent residents the ability to sponsor their same-sex partner for immigration benefits without challenging the Defense of Marriage Act.

I met my partner in February 2003 in Portland, Oregon. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Somehow I knew she would change my life forever. Before we planned our commitment ceremony, my partner informed me that in 2002 she had filed a claim for political asylum in the U.S. At first I had no idea of the impact this would have on us or how our future could possibly be affected. Then I did some research. My partner had passed the one-year deadline and it would be almost impossible to get past this legal challenge. I further found that there was no relief for same-sex couples under the law. In January 2005 we were both forced to flee to Canada for protection. It is hard to quantify how it feels to be exiled from your own country. Yes we are safe, together, and grateful to this country for giving us that opportunity but we still have not been able to adjust. I think it has to do with the fact that we were essentially forced to live here. If we had a choice, we would still be home in the U.S. There is not a day that goes by that both of us yearn to be back home. As a U.S. citizen, I am still struggling to understand how my relationship is so threatening that it warrants being exiled. Our life at home was totally destroyed. We had to leave our home, jobs, family, friends, and posses­sions behind. Our credit was literally devastated from attempting to stave off our departure and live a normal life at the same time.When we came to Canada, we had no support network, no place to stay, and no status. For almost three weeks we lived in a shelter. Neither of us had ever lived like that before and to this day it has affected us in a way that is hard to explain.
Finally, I hope you will agree that not only is it fundamentally unfair to force any American into exile, separating them from their family, friends and community but it is essentially a form of persecution. The UAFA remains the only way to keep loving couples together, and I hope that there is way that you can help. I urge you to take a look at the following websites to read our stories firsthand--to see our suffering and longing for only one thing--to be able to keep our families together in the country that we love:

http://www.immigrationequality.org/
http://www.loveexiles.org/
http://www.out4immigration.org/